Continuous belt fed press



Oct. 30, 1934.

J. DE FRAINE CONTINUOUS BELT FED PRESS Filed July 8, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 71171 H flay fiazw ATTORNEYS y 1 NWN mg.

Oct. 30, 1934. DE FRAINE 1,978,570

CONTINUOUS BELT FED PRESS Filed y 8, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 2 f1. |2 g Q W H, h m w Oct. 30, 1934. .1. H. DE FRAINE 7 1,978,570

CONTINUOUS BELT FED PRESS Filed July 8, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Jam If 26 7601716 B M; A w

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 30, 1934 CONTINUOUS BELT FED PRESS John H. De Fraine, Brookl'ynQN. Y., assignor to Consolidated Laundries Corporation, New York, N. Y-, a-corporation of New York Application July 8, 1932, Serial No. 621,533

5 Claims.

4 This invention relates in general to pressing machines and more particularly to a belt feddevice for pressing fabrics. The invention has for an object the'provision 5 of a: system wherein the fabric to be pressed may be fed upon the continuous belt and wherein the device may be motor driven and automatically regulated so that the device may bestopped after a predetermined amount of fabric has been fed intouthe proper position for pressing and automatically re-started upon the completion of-;the pressing operation. I Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and fool-proof pressure system for the manipulation of the pressing blocks. Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a motor driving system whichis not only adapted to drive the belt but which also includes an v electricalfsystem, whereby the driving force of the motor will be braked automatically after a predetermined extent of operation, and which electrical system will release this brake upon a completion of the pressing operation.

"Ed To this end, it is proposed to provide a fiat workpress comprising a fixed convex springpaddedlower buckand a movable concave upper buck whose concave surfaceis accurately machimed so as tovfit its corresponding lower-one and to use anyvsuitable heating system therefor,

andgto further provide a motor driven endless fabric conveying apron which will be adapted to run across and between the upper and lower bucks.

It is further proposed to provide a device wherein the work may be laid upon the conveying apron so as to be carried to a pressing position directly between the two bucksand to accomplish this operation by the means of a push button starting switch and a limit switchwhich will automatically stop the conveying apron when the work is in a the desired location.

It is furtherproposed to providea simple valve lever for bringing into operation the pressure system: so that when the lever is lifted the upper buck may be caused to descend vertically against the-lower buck through themedium of an actuating piston, the movement ofwhich is brought about in conjunction with, suitable connecting links to the upper buck. The devicewill further consist of devices making it possible for the operating lever upon: the movement of the same in an opposite direction to cause the release of the pressure, against the piston and automatically return the upper buck to an-open or disengaged position. The device will further consist of novel means whereby the upper buck uponreaching such open position will actuate a re-sta'rting switch which will again set in motion the fabric conveying apron so as to advancethe next piece 0 of work to pressing position and carry the pressed work beyond the bucksso thatthe cycle of operation of the device which is simple in construction and readily manually controlled may be continued and repeated as often as'may be desired. i

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter set forth in the following specification and in the appended claims, certain embodiments thereof being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which? Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the dev1ce;-

Figure 2 is a view partly broken away of the device, taken in section along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view in detail of themajor portion of the pressure system;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical showing of the magnetic brake and of the switches for energizing anddeenergizing thebrake; w I

Figure 5 isan enlarged detailed view of the switch for braking the motor;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed view of the switch for releasing the brake.

Referring more'particularly to the drawings, the device consists generally in a main frame work which supports a lower stationary pressing buck 1. The upper pressing buck 21is carried on each sideby a shaft 3 and arm 4, the former of which is pivoted at 5 but adapted for sliding movementwithin the block 6, which is carried by supports '7 and 8 of the frame. ,The arm 4 is pivotally connected at one of its extremities to" the support 8 at 9 andat its other extremity to i an oscillating arm 10 at 11. A block 12is also carried by the shaft constituting the pivot point 5 andis provided with spring plungers 13 and 14. The downward force applied to the head is through the knife edges upon the upperbuck and the seats therefor in the arms 10. i

A pressure system utilizing any medium of pressuresuoh as air, steam or the like may be suitably introduced into a cylinder 14' in which there is located a piston, the nature of which will be more fully disclosed hereinafter. Suffice it to say," for the purpose of reference, thedevice disclosed in Figure 1 will, upon theexertion of a pressure on the underneath side of the piston, cause the piston rod 15 to move in an upwardly direction. This movement by reason of the pivotal connection at 16 of the extension 17 of the piston rod causes rocker arm 10 to be forced from the position indicated in dotted lines to that indicated in full lines in Figure 1. This action takes place against the operation of a returning spring 18 which, by the provision of suitable rods 19 and their connections at 20 to the frame and at 21 to the arm 10 tend to return the device to the position indicated in dotted lines, after the steam pressure has been exhausted and the pressing operation complete. It is to be noted in this connection that the cylinder is provided with an extension 22 which is pivotally connected at 23 to a suitable bracket 24 carried by the frame.

The device further consists in a pair of rollers 25 and 26 located at the extremities of the device. These rollers are to receive a belt 27 which is preferably made of soft muslin material or the like which'also passes over the lower pressing buck. The roller 25 constitutes a driving element which is driven by means of the electric motor 28. The actual driving shaft of the motor is indicated at 28 and any suitable drivingconnections may be employed between the shaft 23' and the driving roller 25. The shaft 28 is further provided with a magnetic brake constituting clamping devices illustrated at 30, the magnetic brake being under the control of the electric system and certain switching devices which are now about to be described. c

Inorder to start the operation of the device a push button 31 may be actuated so as to complete the circuit and energize the motor to put it into operation. The specific type of push button is not illustrated as any suitable type may be used for this purpose. Without present reference to the pressure operating system we will now assume, for the purpose of illustration, that the magnetic brake 3O is released from its engagement with drive shaft 28' and that the muslin is being carried around the two rollers 25 and 26 and passing over the lower buck. The work to be pressed is then placed on the belt and is moved from right to left toward the pressing position. Inorder to regulate the distance of travel of the belt and consequently the amount of work which is fed to the bucks, I have provided a sprocket 33, which may be carried on an extension 34 of the roller 26, and an additional sprocket 32 spaced at a short but predetermined position in relation thereto and mounted on a suitable shaft 35. These sprockets are fitted with a chain 36, the periphery of which is at least equal to the length of the pressing bucks. In other words, the completion of travel of a point in the chain of an entire cycle around both the sprockets and back to its starting point consumes the same amount of time as a travel of a point in the muslin from the front edge to the back edge of the pressing bucks. The

purpose of this'arrangement is to make it possible to measure the travel of the work and to stop such travel as the required amount of work has been fed into pressing position preparatory to the pressing operation. Consequently there is provided a switching device which will bring about the stopping of the feeding process and i this consists of a switching device for energizing with a lever 39 slidably and pivotally mounted on a pin 40. The two rollers 25 and 26 and the sprockets 32 and 33 are all adapted to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. Thus, when the lug 3? strikes the pivoted lever 39, the latter moves a rotatable drum 41 in a counter-clockwise direction against the operation of a tension spring 43. The drum 41 is notched so that the lever 39, as it is moved in response to the operation of the tension spring 43, rides on the inclined faces 44 of the drum 41 until it catches in the next notch behind the high part of the preceding surface projections thereon. The lever 39 besides being pivotally moved as it rides the inclined surfaces is also slidably moved on the pin 40 against the action of a compression spring 40 which maintains the lever against the inclined surfaces 44. The movement of this drum also brings about a movement of the switch blade 54, which is carried by the drum. Spring 42 being connected to the casing 50 also rides the surfaces 44 and acts to prevent clockwise movement of the drum so as toprevent accidental disengagement of the switch blade with the contacts.

Referring more particularly to Figure 4 which diagrammatically illustrates the portion of the wiring circuit including the switches for starting and stopping the rotation of the shaft 23, or in other words applies and releases the magnetic brake from this shaft, the device is so arranged that the motor is started in its operation by throwing in the push button switch 31. This closes the electrical circuit so that electric current is allowed to flow from the contact 55 through the fixed jumper 56 to contact 51, through the pivoted switch blade 54 to the contact 52 and continuing through the wire 5'7 to the re-starting switch 50 through the contact 46 through the pivoted switch blade 45 to contact 47 and then through the fixed jumper 58 to the contact 49. The current then proceeds through the wire 59 to the magnetic brake and to the motor, energizing the solenoid 60 so as to relieve the brake 30 from the shaft 28' so as to allow the latter to be rotated. The motor being thus energized, and the brake being released, the motor causes the belt or apron to be set into motion by means of the rollers. As the actions above referred to in connection with Figure 5 takes place upon the engagement of the lug 37 with the lever 39, the switch blade 54 assumes the position shown in Figure 5 so as to interrupt the circuit passing from contact 51 to 52 and instead connects the two contacts 55 and 61, with the result that the current supply for the motor is cut off, causing the motor to stop and simultaneously causes the magnetic brake to be deenergized, resulting in the application of the brake to the motor shaft, which, as before described, causes the rollers and the apron carried thereby to come to a dead stop. The happening of this event has been predetermined in time so that the work will be in the exact correct position for the pressing operation.

Reference is now had to Figure 3, which is a detailed showing of the pressure operating system comprising a cylinder 14' and a piston 62 located therein. The piston is provided with suitable piston bearing surfaces 63 and the piston rod is adapted for sliding engagement in the bearing 64 in the cylinder. The operating lever 65 is pivotally mounted at 66 and is provided with extensions 67 and 68 for pressing upon a block 69 pivotally mounted at '70 for the alternate operation of spring plungers 71 and 71' by the lifting and depressing, respectively, of the lever 65. While the pressure system is equally adaptable for 'tneuseot steamor water as an actuating medium, the use of air will be explainedas such an actuatingmedium for; the purposes of illustration. Thus the air which is under pressure may be brought 5 frame suitable storage tank through an inlet pipe 7213f the" pressure regulator generally referred to as 73 for uniformly maintaining the pressure at which it is setand which is recorded on the pressure gauge 79.7 The air pressure from the pressure regulatoris carried through the outlet pipe to thepperatingvalve assembly which consists of an inlet valve 81 carried bythe spring plunger 71" and. an outlet valve. 82-carried bythe other spring operated plunger. Thus, when the lever this liftedthe inlet valve 81 is actuated to allow the flow of air into the passage 83 and through the pipe 84 into the passageway 85 underneath the pistonf62, causingthe latter to be operated in an upward direction. This operation just described causes a movement of the piston and cylinder from the positionshown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines in Figure 1*. As previously described; this motioncaused by the air pressure exerted onthe piston results inthe transmission of movement to the upper buck, so that the latter isjforoed downwardly and compressed against the lower buck, soas topressthe work transmitted to the proper positionfor pressing. When the operating lever 65" is depressed, theoutlet valve 82 is involving the manipulation of the operating lever upwardly to cause the moving of the upper buck into engagement with the lower buck and the subsequent depression of the operating lever, so as to relieve this pressure and cause the exhaust of the air in the piston, it is then desired that the pressed work shall be conveyed out of the pressing position and additional work be conveyed into pressing position. This operation is automatically taken care of by means of a switching device 38 so that the action of springs 18 in forcing the upper buck out of engagement with the lower buck when the pressure medium has been rendered inefiective, will cause the operation of this switching device to be so actuated as to re-start the motor and reenergize the magnetic braking device, so that the driving shaft 28' will be released from the brake and the motor started, thus starting the conveying of the work on the belt into pressing position. As the upper buck is raised the extension 3 of the shaft 3 carrying a lug 89 causes the latter to move switching plunger 90 upwardly and pushes one of the prongs 91 arranged on a drum 92 and thus imparts a rotary motion to the latter in a counter-clockwise direction. The extent of this movement is to move the switch blade 45 from the position shown in full lines in Figure 4 to that shown in dotted lines therein so as to bring about the electrical engagement of contacts 43 and 49 and the disengagement of contacts 46 and 4'7. By tracing the circuit it will then be seen that the current is adapted to flow and the apron again set in motion inasmuch as the other switch blade 54 is at this time connecting contacts 55 and 61 so that the current flows from wire 59 through contacts 1 49 and 48 and through contacts 61 and 65, thus completing the circuit for the re-starting of the -motorand the reenergizing of the magnetic brake so that the latter'is released from the driving shaft 28. i l I This cycle of operation is repeated as often as is desired and in summarization it will be seen that the starting of the motor and the operation of the device as a whole is accomplished by the pushing of the starting button 31 which sets in motion the driving rollers so as to feed the work along the muslin belt into the proper position for pressing engagement of the upper with the lower buck.

After a predetermined travel of work, which-travel is regulated bythe chain and switch tripping device constituting a limit switch, the travel is automatically stopped. Simple operation of the pressure operating lever in an upward direction admits air under pressure so as to force the piston upwardly and the upper buck downwardly so as to press the work thus positioned. The duration 1 of this pressing operation is left entirely to the operator and the pressing operation is discontinued as the operator presses the operating lever, causing the evacuation of theair in the cylinder. The spring devices 18 then automatically carry the upper buck out of contact with the work and away from the lower buck; and the movement of the upper buck trips a re-starting switch, which again sets into operation the motor and the driving shaft for driving the conveying belt.

As a further refinement of the device there is provided a means for keeping aligned at all times the conveying belt. This means may comprise an arm 93 pivoted to the casing at 94. and carry-- ing a channeled roller 95 for engaging the belt. The arm may have secured at 96.. a suitable weight 97. In such a manner the belt may be kept taut and aligned. This is merely a conventional showing as this result may be obtained in a numbernot different and more efficient ways.

I claim: 1,. r N

1. In a device of the character described, a movable and a stationary press element, a continuous conveying apron and driving means including a pair of rollers for driving the said apron over said stationary press element, a motor for actuating said driving means, automatic means for stopping said motor and its driving shaft after a predetermined extent of movement of said apron, a manually controlled fluid pressure operated system for actuating said movable press element, means for re-starting said motor, said re-starting means comprising a restarting switch actuated by the movement of said movable press element so as to complete the motor circuit upon the movement of said press element subsequent to the completion of the pressing operation.

2. In a device of the character described, a

movable and a stationary press element, a continuous conveying apron and driving means including a pair of rollers for driving the said apron over said stationary press element, a motor for actuating said driving means, automatic means for stopping said motor and its driving shaft after a predetermined extent of movement of said apron, a manually controlled fluid pressure operated system for actuating said movable press element said automatic means comprising an additional roller adjacent to one of said apron conveying rollers and a belt passing around the two and adapted to be moved thereby, a switch tripping device carried thereby, and a switch operated by said movable press element for making the circuit for energizing said motor, said pressure operated system comprising a fluid system including a cylinder and a piston therein and an operating lever between said piston and said movable press, and a pressure regulated system including manual valve control means for subjecting said piston to and releasing the same from fluid pressure.

3. In a device of the character described, a movable and a stationary press element, a continuous conveying apron and driving means including a pair of rollers for driving the said apron over said stationary press element, a motor for actuating said driving means, automatic means for stopping said motor and its driving shaft after a predetermined extent of movement of said apron, a manually controlled fluid pressure operated system for actuating said movable press element, means for re-starting said motor, said automatic means comprising an additional roller adjacent to one of said apron conveying rollers and a belt passing around the two and adapted to be moved thereby, a switch trip ping device carried thereby, and a switch for breaking the circuit for deenergizing said motor and for controlling the operation of said motor driving unit, said second named means comprising a re-startingswitch actuated by the movement of said movable press element so as to complete the motor circuit upon the movement of said press element subsequent to the completion of the pressing operation, said pressure operated system comprising a fluid system including a cylinder and a piston therein and an operating lever between said piston and said movable press element, and a pressure regulated system including manual valve control means for subjecting said piston to and releasing the same from fluid pressure.

4. In a device of the character described, a movable and a stationary press element, a continuous conveying apron and driving means ineluding a pair of rollers for driving the said apron over said stationary press element, a motor for actuating said driving means, automatic means for stopping said motor and its driving shaft after a predetermined extent of movement of said apron, a manually controlled fluid pressure operated system for actuating said movable press element, means for re-starting said motor, said second named means comprising a re-starting switch actuated by the movement of said movable press element so as to complete the motor circuit upon the movement of said press element subsequent to the completion of the pressing operation, said pressure operated system comprising a fluid system including a cylinder and a piston therein and an operating lever between said piston and said movable press element,

said system including manual valve control means for subjecting said piston to and releasing the same from fluid pressure.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable and a stationary press element, an endless conveying apron for delivering the work between said press elements, a manually controlled fluid pressure operating system for moving said movable press element toward and away from said stationary press element, a motor for driving said apron and an electrical system for controlling the operation of said motor, said electrical system comprising means for automatically stopping said motor and the parts driven thereby after a predetermined travel of said apron, and means for re-starting said motor, said last named means being controlled by said movable press elernent so as to be operable and effective only after the completion of said pressing operation and after the movement of the movable press element away from said stationary press element.

JOHN H. DE FRAINE. 

